After a brief stint on reality TV, the controversial tennis star has been training on the Gold Coast before he departs this week for the second-tier ATP Challenger circuit.

“I feel like having wasted that last year made me wake up that I need to get back where I belong and maybe push to become a top-five, top-eight player,” the world No.168 told a News Corp podcast.

The 25-year-old hopes he can string some wins together in the lesser tournaments before rejoining the ATP Tour in early April at Morocco’s Grand Prix Hassan II and testing himself in Monte Carlo Masters qualifying.

Unless he has some outstanding results at those tournaments, he’ll be forced to enter the French Open through qualifying.

He faces an uphill battle to make the main draw of the clay court Grand Slam, having only won three matches in eight appearances at Roland Garros.

None of the wins were against higher-ranked players.

His last stint outside the top 100, due to hip surgery, came in mid-2014 before Tomic played career-best tennis to finish 2015 inside the top-20.

“Now is a little bit different but I’m ready to challenge myself and hopefully in the next year I can be well inside the top 30,” he said.

“But I’m going to have to work hard.”

– AAP